Our History

On May 15, 1905 First National Bank opened its doors for business. Historians liked to say it was the "era of bank expansion" in Utah. Local residents were eager to have a local bank so that they could deal directly with their banker, instead of by mail, as was the custom of the day. The personal touch and the confidence in their own community bank allowed the young bank to prosper.

Located in a small white building at 50 West Gentile Street in Layton, First National Bank was established by 9 community leaders, with E.P. Ellison as the largest stockholder with 25 shares. That first day the bank had one employee, Laurence Ellison. It is told that at the end of the bank's first day of business, Laurence tried to balance the accounts and discovered he was two dollars short. Worried, he worked until 2:00 a.m. before he found out that you cannot count silver dollars by measuring one stack against another.

The original bank building is still standing, but in 1981 the restoration of the old Farmers Union Building was completed and the Main Street Branch moved to the building across the street. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The old vault doors as well as the long marble teller windows were moved into the restored building and attest to the solid longevity of Layton's first community bank.

Long a part of the community, First National Bank has been instrumental in financing several well known, locally owned businesses as well as being the bank for generations of families. From its humble beginnings, First National Bank has grown to 7 branches, from Clearfield to the newest branch in Draper, Utah. The vision of the first shareholders has not been forgotten with over 100 employees dedicated to providing the kind of relationship banking that never goes out of style.

"A Century of Putting People First" - First National Bank